1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to thermostat mountings and, in particular, to mountings for thermostats in appliances, such as ice makers.
2. Description of the Background Art
One conventional use of thermostats is to sense the temperature of the mold in automatic ice makers. Determination of the temperature condition of the mold is utilized to control the forming of the ice bodies and the heating of the mold in the harvesting operation.
To provide proper thermal transfer relationship between the thermostat and the mold, the thermal sensor is typically a bimetallic sensor urged into spring-biased contact with the mold. One such thermostat arrangement for use in an ice maker is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,163,018 of Lyle F. Shaw.
A problem has arisen in the thermostatic devices of the prior art in that the conventional thermostat mounting means permit movement of the thermostat relative to the control and other components of the ice maker, such as during the subassembly stage of manufacture, and more specifically, prior to the time the control housing is mounted in association with the mold.
Another problem arises during servicing of the ice maker when the control housing may be separated from the mold. The loose arrangement of the thermostat and its associated mounting means permits these components to fall out of the housing. Reassembly has been found to be quite difficult in the field. One attempted solution to this problem is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,362,182 of Frank M. Walker, which utilizes relatively complicated and expensive fasteners requiring removal of the fasteners during the servicing operation in order to remove the thermostat, as desired.